Rope-fastener.



L. 0. SIMS. 7 ROPE FASTENER. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 2, 1909.

Patented June 28, 1910.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEWIS C. SIMS, OF LOUISVILLE, OHIO.

ROPEFASTENEB.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEWIS C. SIMS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Louisville, in the county of Stark and State of Ohio, haveinvented a new and useful Rope- Fastener, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to improvements in devices for fastening ropes tostationary posts and the like, it being designed to do away with thetying of knots and other unsatisfactory methods of fastening ropes insuch cases, and it particularly relates to and is adapted for thefastening of clothes-lines, awning ropes and the like.

The objects and advantages of my device will be readily apparent tothose skilled in the art, and the construction by which I attain theseadvantages and objects is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, inwhich Figure 1 is a. perspective view of the device fastened to a postand illustrating a rope properly fastened. Fig. 2 is a similar view ofthe device showing a practical use of the fastener when it is desired tohave the rope extend directly out at right angles from the surface towhich the fastener is at tached. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of thefastener. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the fastener, said view beingtaken from the under-side.

Throughout the several views similar numerals of reference indicatesimilar parts.

The numeral 1 indicates a post or other suitable stationary structure towhich the fastener may be attached. The fastener proper consists of asingle piece of wire bent into the form shown in the drawings. The endsof the wire are brought together at the point 2; from there the saidwire extends to both sides forming the loops 83, which are adapted tolie in a vertical plane, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. At the point 4the wire is bent downward toward the point 2 and then outward to formthe loop 5 from whence it extends upwardly at an oblique angle to avertical line. The said wire extends in the direction indicated but ashort distance when it is again returned at the point 6 to the point 7.A series of similar loops is continued until the desired number,preferably three, has been produced. A similar series of loops isarranged upon the opposite side, and the integral portion 8Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed January 2, 1909.

Patented June 28, 1910. Serial No. 470,544..

unites the two series at what may be termed the end of the fastener.

By reference to Fig. 3 it will be seen that the loops on the two sidesof the fastener lie in planes which are disposed at an angle to eachother. This angle is preferably an obtuse angle but slightly greaterthan a right angle, but it is obvious that it may be more or lesswithout departing from the spirit of the invention. The purpose of thusdisposing the planes of the loops on the two sides is to facilitate theapplication of the rope to the fastener as hereafter more fullydescribed. It should be stated that the wire used in constructing thisfastener should be spring wire of such weight and strength as to possessconsiderable rigidity, and the loops should be so arranged that thesides of the same converge slightly as they extend from the outwardlyextending loops 6 to the inwardly extending loops 7, thus formingconverging sides between which the rope may be placed and drawn downinto such position that it will be gripped tightly between the saidsides.

A fastener of the character described having been attached to a suitablepost or other stationary structure by means of screws, 9, extendingthrough the loops 3, the method of using the fastener is as follows.Attention is directed to Fig. 1. Let it be supposed that the rope 10 isalready fastened at one end to a stationary support. The other end isbrought over the top of the fastener at the point nearest the support towhich it is attached, namely over the loops 5. The rope is then pulledover said loops until the portion between the other fastened end and thefastener illustrated is sufliciently taut. The free end of the rope isthen wound around the fastener under the loops 5 at the point 11 andinto the next inwardly extending loop at the point 12, across the top ofthe fastener and into the corresponding inwardly extending loop, underthe fastener again at the point 13 and over and into the next pair ofinwardly extending loops at the point 14. It will be understood that theoperation of fastening the end of the rope in the manner just describedmay be performed with great rapidity as it simply consists in drawingthe rope over the loop nearest the post and winding said rope along saidfastener in a spiral manner bringing it within the converging loops anddrawing it down tight within each of the same. When finally brought intothe position shown in Fig. 1 it will be found that the fastening will bevery substantial. If the strain on the rope becomes considerable, theportion of the rope at 11 will pull in such manner as to draw theportion at 12 more tightly into engagement with the converging sides ofthe loops between which it is arranged. If these loops and theirengagement with the rope are insufficient to hold it against movement,if any draft is exerted on the rope at the point 13 by reason ofslippage, the rope at the point 1% will be drawn more tightly betweenthe converging sides of the loop and in this manner a very securefastening is afforded. If it is desired to extend the rope on from thefastener itmay be wound around the said fastener in a spiral manner backagain to the loops closest to the support and from that point may beextended on to another point of fastening. y

In Fig. 2 is shown another use of the fastener when it is desired tohave the rope extend directly out at right angles from the support. Inthis method the rope 10 is laid on top of the converging loops back tothe point 15, where it is turned down through one of the loops 5, underthe fastener and diagonally across the same, up between two of theconverging loops at 16, across the top of the rope 10 to the oppositeside, between the loops down under the fastener again at 17, up betweentwo of the converging loops at 18, under the rope 10 and between theconverging loops again at 19. This fastening is very secure as any drafton the rope 10 will tend to force the rope more tightly between theconverging loops, as will be readily seen by an inspection of Fig. 2.

While two methods of fastening the rope have thus been described it isevident that the fastener may be used in many ways which have not beendescribed. The most common and convenient method is shown in Fig. 1,however, and the use there shown is that for which the fastener isprimarily intended. By placing the loops in planes at an angle to eachother the outwardly extending loops are brought nearer together and thewinding of the rope about the fastener is facilitated by reason of thefact that the loops into which the rope is drawn are closer to eachother and the said rope will be drawn into the appropriate loop eventhough very little care is exercised to this end by the one fasteningthe rope. Fun; thermore, since fasteners of this character forclothes-lines and the like are usually arranged at some height above theconvenient reaching height of the average user, the loops being arrangedin planes at an angle to each other enables the user to merely pulldownwardly upon the free end of the rope and thus crowd the rope downmore tightly between the converging loops. This operation will be wellunderstood by those skilled in the art. By an inspection of Fig. 2another purpose in placing the loops in planes at an angle to each otherwill be readily apparent. It will be noted that the rope 10 lies in whatmight be termed the trough of the two series of loops, the angulararrangement serving to assist in keeping the rope 10 in place.Furthermore where the free end of the rope is passed under the rope 10between the points 18 and 19, the top portion of the rope 10 will serveto crowd the portion under it down into the converging loops in a mannerwhich would be impossible if the loops were not arranged in planes at anangle to each other.

lVhile the fastening of the rope is accomplished with ease and rapidity,it will be understood that it may be as conveniently unfastened, andthat when it is desired to unfasten the said rope all that is requiredis to unwind the same, reversing the operation just above describec Itwill be seen from the above that the device described is such as may becheaply made, convenient in use,'thoroughly eliicient and peculiarlyadapted to the purposes for which it is intended.

I claim:

The herein described rope fastener formed from a single piece of wireand provided with loops adapted for the accommodation of attachingscrews and a double series of loops with converging sides, wedge slotsbeing formed between adjacent loops, the loops on the two sides of thefastener lying in planes disposed at an obtuse angle to each other.

In testimony that I claim the above, I have hereunto subscribed my namein the presence of two witnesses.

LEWVIS G. SIMS.

Witnesses CLARENCE A. FIsI-IER, BENJAMIN F. FISHER.

